Organization

Learn more about how the Danish Data Protection Agency is organized.

The Danish DPA consists of a Council and a Secretariat. The Council makes decisions in specific cases of a principled nature, and the day-to-day business is dealt with by the Secretariat, which employs approximately 80 persons (2025) and is headed by a Director.

The Director of the Danish DPA is appointed by HM The Queen. The Director of the Danish DPA is chosen on the basis of a public job posting and is appointed for a period of five years with the possibility of reappointment for three more years without a public job posting. Thereafter, it is mandatory to make a public job posting in order to occupy the position. However, it is possible to reappoint the same Director. All other members of the staff are appointed by the Director of the Danish DPA.

 

Responsibilities and tasks

  • Strategy, service and development
  • Staff/HR
  • Finance and budget
  • Records Management
  • Internal IT Service and IT Security, including ISO 27001
  • Press and other communication
  • Data Protection Council (Datarådet)

 

  • IT Operations and Development
  • Organisational Development, Analysis and Compliance
  • Planning and Coordination (case allocation meetings, recommendation committee, supervisory plan, strategic priorities, annual cycle, etc.)
  • Cross-cutting Consultations
  • Access to Documents Requests
  • Consultations on Legislative Proposals
  • Parliamentary Questions
  • General Guidance from the Danish Data Protection Agency
  • Administration of Fee-Funded Activities
  • Telephone Advisory Service
  • Records Management
  • Internal and External Communications
  • Annual Report
  • Press Relations

  • Complaints and Enquiries on Data Protection Matters
  • Personal Data Breach Notifications
  • Press-related Matters and Mass Media Information Databases
  • Opinions for the Police 
  • Codes of Conduct
  • Certification

  • Complaints and Enquiries on Data Protection Matters
  • Personal Data Breach Notifications
  • Research and Statistics, including Disclosure from Research
  • Authorisations for Processing Necessary for Important Public Interests
  • Press-related Matters and Mass Media Information Databases
  • Archives Sector
  • Credit Information Agencies
  • Warning Registers, etc.
  • Political Marketing
  • Legal Information
  • Opinions for the Police
  • Faroe Islands

  • Complaints and Enquiries on Data Protection Matters
  • Personal Data Breach Notifications
  • AI Act
  • Regulatory Sandbox
  • Law Enforcement Act
  • Opinions for the Police

  • European Data Protection Board, including Working Groups
  • EU Information Systems
  • Internal Market Information System (IMI)
  • Nordic Cooperation
  • International Cooperation
  • Other International Cooperation (Council of Europe, OECD, etc.)
  • Common European Systems, including Schengen, VIS, Eurodac, Eurojust, IMI, etc.
  • Third-country Transfers, including Binding Corporate Rules (BCR)
  • Complaints and Enquiries concerning Third Countries, etc.
  • Guidance, etc.

  • Supervision and Guidance on Greenlandic Data Protection Rules

The National Whistleblower Scheme handles report on certain kinds of breaches, including

  • breaches of certain types of EU-law
  • serious breaches of the law and other serious offences
  • harassment and sexual harassment.

Read more on the National Whisteblower Scheme website.

Our budget

The budget of the Danish DPA is determined by the Danish Parliament.

Every year, the budget of the Danish DPA is determined in the Danish Finance Act, which includes the entire budget of the Danish state in the coming year. It is the government and the Minister of Finance that prepares and presents the bill for the Finance Act.

The budget of the Danish DPA is determined together with the other state authorities’ budgets through dialogue between the Ministry of Finance and the other ministries, which in relation to the Danish DPA is the Ministry of Justice. On that basis the government will make a final decision regarding the overall budget presented in the bill.

The agreement on a final Finance Act is concluded on the basis of negotiations between the government and the political parties in the Danish Parliament.